Rigid, thermoplastic food containers, made up of a base and a cover, are generally known. The prior art covers and bases are economically constructed from relatively thin-gauge plastic so that the user can either wash them after use or dispose of them with the view that their purchase price allows them to be used as a consumable good. The prior art container can be readily manufactured, for example, with conventional thermoforming equipment or thin-walled injection molding. The cover can be made from a semi-transparent material to ensure satisfactory visibility of the container's contents. The conventional containers are suitable for refrigerator, freezer, microwave, and machine dishwasher use.
Users often accumulate a large number of these containers in different sizes and shapes. When not in use, the containers are often stored haphazardly into drawers. In this case, the unused containers take up a great deal of room, and finding a matching base and cover in a disarranged drawer may be difficult. To avoid this, some users stack the containers in cabinets. While the bases of the containers usually nest and therefore take up less room than in a disorganized drawer, it may still be difficult to match a base with a cover. In addition, the covers may not stack and the covers may tend to topple down. When the containers are in use to store food, the containers are often stacked one on top of another in cabinets or in a refrigerator. These stacks may be precarious, and their fall may cause food to spill from the containers. Many users would find it desirable if the containers, whether empty or in use, could be stored in a more space efficient manner, less precariously, and more structurally rigid. Further, many users would also find it desirable if the containers when stored in a space efficient manner did not do so in a way that entrapped water or other liquids between the covers or containers. Design of prior art containers has not effectively integrated a component organizational tool. Further, improvements that enhance drying and aligning in current container products are needed